Blood of a Superman
by Phantom Crossing
Summary: Nodoka Saotome decides it is time for Ranma to meet his grandfather, Seijuro Hiko...nuff said
1. Prologue

I don't own Ranma. I don't own Kenshin. They belong to their owners...and besides, this is fanfiction.net, and anyone who doesn't know that the people posting here aren't the owners of the things they write for in the categories should be dragged out into the street and shot multiple times, not killed, but shot.  
  
Blood of a Superman  
  
Prologue  
  
Nodoka Saotome sat quietly in the ill lit living room of the Tendo Dojo. It had been seven days since the failed wedding. It had been seven days in which she saw her son sink deeper and deeper into his anger and frustration. She unsheathed the honor sword she held with her at all times and watched as it glistened in the moonlight filtering in through the opening sliding door.  
She sighed to herself. Contemplating past decisions of the life she had lived, marrying a man so much younger than she was of course was among the chief thoughts. Though she didn't look it, Nodoka Saotome was much older than Genma. Again she sighed. Ranma as a martial artist had been proving himself to be the greatest of his generation, but only in body. She had heard stories of the battle at Jusendo from her husband and the various youths who were in some way attached to her son. After much deliberation she reached her decision and returned the sword to the sheath from which it came. Quite casually she removed a cellular phone from the insides of her Kimono. She thought it time for her child to learn the ways of the art tied to her side of the family.  
Scrolling though the names she stopped on one and selected it. The phone then read 'Calling Seijuro Hiko' as she listened to it ring.  
"Hello father," she said casually into the line, "I believe it is time to meet your grandson,"  
  
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Author's notes and ramblings  
  
Yeah, this is going to be awesome beyond compare, no really, it will be. 


	2. Chapter 1

I don't own Ranma or Kenshin So suck on that! WOOT! I know the prologue chapter was short (one paragraph), but it was an introductory prologue, that's what a prologue of the introductory nature usually is. Of course I will be continuing, but ye all should care not for the length of what is to be written. For those of you in the higher levels of academia like myself, you probably appreciate shorter chapters because, you know, time is a luxury during college, especially during finals week...then again when there isn't much to do and I do enjoy reading a long chapter...hmm...lets just find a happy medium here between short and long...and then everyone can be happy.... By the way, I did the math; Hiko would be 162 years old in 1996, when Ranma ½ ended.  
  
Blood of a Superman  
  
Chapter One: Man in a white cape.  
  
After the familiar echo of a large form impacting against the surface of the Koi pond, the residents of the Tendo Household took their usual seats at the table for breakfast. It was a normal morning, unlike any other really, the soaked panda trudging its way back to the house still sore from its fight with its son.  
Said son, a boy named Ranma Saotome, sat at the table and crossed his arms. The morning spars with his father had been for a long time now been no where near challenging, but he had to humor his old man and dragged it out. Ever since that day...Ranma had a great amount of problems coping with the situations that were arising. Most of this was anger towards everyone who crashed the wedding. Between all their actions, the noncombatants of the family all could have been seriously hurt. In thinking about this he glanced up towards Kasumi, Nabiki, and his mother. He was worried that they would get caught up in the usual crossfire and chaos...and that they would be unable to survive it as it grew worse. He was even more worried about one other person who was just now coming to sit at the table. After Jusendo he knew what mattered. After the wedding he knew what he wanted to do. After everything else, he knew what would be the hardest thing to do in his life. He knew he loved Akane, but his proximity to her seemed only to bring her pain and hardship, most of which was in part to his own comments and insults and he knew it.  
Soun ruffled his paper and continued reading. Nabiki groggily took a sip of her highly caffeinated jolt cola to get her started. Nodoka sat silently sipping her morning tea. Kasumi walked in with the trays of rice, fish, and pickled vegetables for breakfast. Genma, still in panda form, sat next to his son and prepared for his usual morning routine of taking his son's food and calling it training. Happosai bounded in and began ironing a pink pair of panties right on the table while beginning to eat the breakfast Kasumi had lain out. Akane, she merely entered the seen having just gotten out of the furo and gotten dressed. As she took her seat across the table from Ranma she looked over at the man who had saved her countless times and sighed in a depressed fashion. Ranma's eyes glanced up and their gazes met, only for an instant as they both huffed and shot their eyes in opposite directions.  
"Husband," Nodoka said with a calm grace as she set down her tea.  
'Yes dear,' read the sign.  
"In light of the more than ten years you have instructed our son in your and skill of martial arts, I have decided to-" Nodoka's speech was interrupted by the sound of knocking coming from the back of the house.  
"A challenger," Soun declared looking up from his paper.  
'Ready boy,' Genma hit Ranma with the sign to get his distracted son's attention while he swiped another pickle.  
"I'll get it," Kasumi stood and approached the back of the Tendo home.  
  
Earlier that morning...  
  
Akane was making excellent time on her morning jog. As she turned the corner at Dr. Tofu's she noticed a rather tall and muscular man walking in her direction from ahead. His hair was jet black save for a long stripe of white running down the left side. He wore what looked like a blue gi topped with an immense white cape with red interior lining. In his right hand was a jug of sake, in his left a wooden cane that she supposed was a walking stick.  
"Excuse me miss," he said in a powerful, calm, and commanding tone.  
His eyes were intense even when he asked such a simple and sedate question. His voice was of confidence that stood unwavering, despite his need for direction.  
"Could you help me, I am new in this town and have gotten lost,"  
Akane was wary of this man; she judged by his appearance that he was a martial artist. And by the way he carried himself, he was a master. Though as Akane looked at him she felt something amazingly familiar, something that reminded her of something she had seen every day of her life for the past two years.  
"Where are you going?" she asked, still unsure of the situation.  
"I was going to my daughter's home in Juban, but when I arrived it was in ruin," he said without changing his inflection, "I was told that she had moved here to Nerima. She has dark blue green eyes, short auburn hair, and is roughly this tall,"  
He motioned with his hand the height of his daughter. It appeared she was a little taller than Akane, but no where near this man's height.  
Akane stared at him blankly for a moment. She blinked a few times slightly speechless as she thought about who she knew in town that fit this man's brief description.  
"Feh, never mind," he sighed as he continued on past her, "It is obvious you know nothing of any use to me,"  
Akane stared blankly as he turned the corner and disappeared. She thought for a moment and pulled a brief mental image of Ranma's mother. She quickly shook that image and decided to get back to her jog.  
Around the corner, the man walked on. Secure in his knowledge that the young woman he had stopped was his grandson's fiancée. She had a fine fighting spirit and much potential. He would be happy if his grandson had half as much potential as this girl, but from what his daughter had described, his grandson was light years ahead of the young woman he just spoken to. Tracing the ki left in the wake of her jog, he began slowly tracing it back to the place her jog had started. Present...  
  
"Hello," said Kasumi as she opened the door.  
"Hello," said the tall and powerful man standing on the other side.  
Kasumi looked at this man in awe. In all her time around amazing martial artists, she had never seen a man so powerful or godlike. She was taken aback and had to catch her breath.  
"Oh my," she said quickly.  
"I am here to challenge the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts to combat," he said without the tone of his voice changing.  
Kasumi quickly composed herself.  
"Oh, you're here to see Ranma then. I go tell everyone to get ready. The dojo is over there, please go inside and wait for us to begin," she said with her usual smile.  
As the god-like man walked over to the dojo, his cape billowing, Kasumi went back to the dining room to address the family.  
"There is a nice man here to challenge the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts," she said cheerfully.  
Ranma sighed and rose. Another challenge, just what he needed. Some no name kung fu or karate black belt trying to make a name for himself. Repetition was beginning to annoy him.  
As everyone entered the dojo to watch, they were surprised to see the large man standing there in the center of the dojo; all of them but Nodoka that is. He removed his cape, folded it, and set his jug and cane atop it in a corner of the room and took a stance, waiting for Ranma to follow suit.  
Akane was double stunned. This was the man from earlier. Curiously she glanced at Nodoka to see that she had a slight smile on her face. Then it struck Akane, there was no way...this guy was...Nodoka's father. That meant that Ranma was...  
Ranma wondered who this guy was. Ranma wasn't sensing any grand power from him, he wasn't even exerting a battle aura, but there was something about him that looked amazingly impressive and intimidating. Feh, Ranma had killed a god. How hard could this guy be to knock down? But despite that, there was a lingering familiarity in the air that Ranma couldn't place.  
Ranma took his stance and began introductions.  
"I'm Ranma Saotome, heir to the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts,"  
"I am Seijuro Hiko, thirteenth master of the Hiten Mitsurugi of swordsman ship. Though I hold a focus on armed combat, I'll be fighting you unarmed today. Is that acceptable?"  
"Yes," Ranma responded.  
"Also, the terms of this fight," Hiko began, "I you win, I'll tell you why I'm here. If I win, I'll tell you why I'm here and you must submit to me as my new student and become the fifteenth master of the Hiten Mitsurugi alongside any other titles you are required to earn,"  
"Feh, why such terms," Ranma inquired.  
"I'll tell you when this fight is over," responded Hiko.  
Nodoka stepped forward.  
"Yes, you shall father," she said calmly and catching everyone's attention.  
"Match start!" she called out raising her left hand.  
Ranma's eyes opened wide as both he and Hiko became blurs and then invisible to the naked or untrained eye. Parts of the dojo wall, floor and ceiling exploded out in invisible impacts. Ranma didn't have time to react to this information, only fight. The man was impossibly fast, faster than Ranma's female form and stronger than his current form.  
"MY DOJO," Sound cried shedding his usual tears, "REPAIRS WERE JUST FINISHED YESTERDAY!"  
Suddenly a thunderous sound overtook the room. Ranma became visible again as he impacted against the polished wood floor. He was unconscious and Hiko's hand was still wrapped around his head holding him to the ground.  
"I win," he said as he lifted the limp Ranma to his feet.  
Ranma's eyes opened for only a few seconds before he again slipped into unconsciousness. In that time he heard two things. One was Akane screaming his name. The other was the man who had just crushed him. He was looking directly into those intense eyes.  
"Starting tomorrow you are my apprentice," he said as Ranma's mind again darkened, "Understood grandson?"  
  
End chapter one.  
  
Author's Notes  
  
WOOT  
  
That was awesome to finish.  
  
Well, what 'cha think? 


	3. Chapter 2: Dial H for AWESOME!

Now then...I, the illustrious Phantom Crossing present for everyone's approval chapter 2 of Blood of a Superman. (repost)

Oh, standard disclaimer...I DON'T OWN THIS SHIT! THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS! IF ANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THE STUFF WE'RE WRITING ABOUT ON IS OWNED BY OTHER PEOPLE, THEN BY ALL MEANS SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT! BECAUSE IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT BY NOW THEN YOU ARE ENTITLED FOR SYSTEMATIC REMOVAL FROM THE GENE POOL, AND I ASK YOU TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT IN HOPES THAT YOUR SHEAR STUPIDITY WILL RESULT IN A BULLET IN YOUR HEAD RATHER THAN YOU FOOT! OH IT CAN HAPPEN, NOW GO BUY A TWELVE GAUGE!

Before continuing I must apologize for my bout of insanity...on with the fic...

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Blood of a Superman Chapter 2

"Yes, you shall father. Match start!" that was all Ranma heard as his mother's hand dropped and the match began.

Before his eyes, the man blurred and Ranma could feel an oncoming presence behind him. The fist slammed into the floor narrowly missing the back of Ranma's left calf, which was now in the process of being swung at the head of the man his mother had called father. After the hit connected with the man's neck, Ranma used it as a spring board and leapt to the ceiling. Chancing a quick glance, he could see the man was relatively un-phased by his attack. This went on, they were both moving incredibly fast, Ranma thought about which of his techniques he could use against this man, but realizing how much faster he was than any other opponent Ranma had faced before he also realized that the setup for any of his techniques would leave him wide open. A cross beam in the ceiling was reduced to splinters as Ranma bounded off of it just avoiding one of this man's kicks.

All of this guy's blows were holding nothing back, each one meant to finish the fight in one shot. Ranma caught on to this just as three more spots on the floor exploded in fragments of wood in quick succession. He thought about the Hiryu Shoten Ha, but that was a bad move considering they were inside...and there was too much chance of the other's being caught up in it. No, Ranma had to go all out in direct attacks against this guy.

Estimating that they hadn't even been fighting for fifteen seconds yet, Ranma was amazed by how fast this man was moving and thinking during this bout, and by proxy how much faster Ranma had to move to keep ahead of him, there was no way he would admit to speeding up just to keep up to him. It was a challenging fight against a stronger opponent, like at Jusendo but without the life or death consequences.

Sixteen hits to the center of his chest. Twenty to the joint to his shoulder, six to his left temple, and thirteen kicks in the stomach; all of these collectively took Ranma less than a second to land on his opponent. He knew he wasn't doing serious damage, none of them were meant to be finishing blows, only meant to throw off this opponent and tire him down. But while Ranma was throwing nothing but fast and accurate shots, his opponent was throwing haymaker after haymaker at him, each one missing and shattering the floor, ceiling, and walls. It was sloppy, it was pointless, and it was almost like fighting Akane. Except for the fact that he was using twice the strength and an impossible amount of speed in his primary movements that rivaled Ranma's.

Deciding it was time for a light show in the fight, Ranma began focusing his confident ki outside his body between his now clasped hands. Keeping his sights on his opponent, who was now on the defensive for some reason, he lined up the target and prepared to let loose his attack. Then he noticed his opponent blur before his eyes, even at the speed they were already moving at, and was standing before the onlookers of the fight. The look on his face was daring Ranma to release his attack and risk hitting one of those who stood behind him.

Ranma smirked, so it was gonna be like this. Letting his gathered ki dissipate, Ranma returned to the previous pattern. After a few more fractions of a second, he reasoned that even though this was an indoor fight, he might as well use the Hiryu Shoten Ha. Slowing down just enough to goad his opponent into attacking again he began falling back into the spiral. It was about halfway through when he tripped backwards on one of the holes left by one of the opponent's previous haymakers. Cursing to himself Ranma tried to right this mistake but found a sharp pain in his back and spine as a fist impacted with a force that would make a freight train stagger back. Turning to give a full strength retaliated punch Ranma clocked his opponent across the face as fast as he could before the next blow came. Ranma found himself impacting against the floor, hard. Next he could feel a large hand gripping the back of his head and lifting his suddenly weakened form into the air. The last thing he saw was his opponents face and intense eyes.

"I win," said the opponent before Ranma passed out.

Groggily, Ranma woke up. He groaned as he removed the moist rag from his forehead and threw the blanket off of his still dressed form.

"Ranma! You're alright!" a loud voice called to Ranma.

He hadn't opened his eyes yet, and the voice was extremely close and loud. Immediately he knew it was Akane.

"Jeez 'Kane, what hit me? Did I call you a sexless tomboy again," Ranma's eyes opened but were still blurry. Though he could see clearly enough the anger powered fist hurtling straight at him.

"Ranma you jerk!"

Ranma didn't know where it came from, but for once he tried to block Akane's assault. The impact never came, after a moment of stillness he looked up and saw something unexpected. Tears were flowing from the bang shadowed space where Akane's eyes lay hidden.

"I was...I was actually worried about you!" without anymore words she rose to her feet and turned to leave the room.

Ranma could only stare as the door slammed closed behind her.

"That was very stupid," a voice beside Ranma proclaimed.

Directing his gaze to the side Ranma saw the man he had fought, Seijuro Hiko, lying on a bedroll a few feet away from where he had been unconscious.

"That last hit you delivered was quite impressive," he said as he sat up, "I lost temporary sensory control and collapsed ten seconds after you lost consciousness,"

Ranma leapt up from his bedroll and took a fighting stance, the clothing he had worn during the battle still adorning his form. Taking a defensive stance he readied himself for any possible attack.

"I don't know what the hell is going on but I ain't gonna take it sitting down," Ranma cracked his knuckles watching his opponent for movement.

"What's going on boy is I won, which means alongside being heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts and Founding School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, you are now heir to the Hiten Mitsurugi Style of Swordsmanship. You lost, so now you are my new apprentice,"

"I don't know who you think you are, but Ranma Saotome don't lose!" declared the pigtailed youth as he took a swing at Hiko.

While in mid swing, Ranma remembered something from the start of the fight replayed itself in Ranma's mind, he remembered his mother calling this man father.

"I am Seijuro Hiko, father of Nodoka Hiko who you know as Nodoka Saotome," he effortlessly caught Ranma's swing and held Ranma to the floor pining his arm behind his back, "I am your oldest living relative boy, the family elder you might say. And I believe I am entitled to a little respect as your grandfather and as your new master,"

Ranma didn't struggle against the grab and reversal. He just listened. This guy was a part of his family. The father of the mother he had only known for a scant few months...

"I want a rematch," Ranma said...slightly calmer than his previous statement.

"Hmm...and what does that accomplish. Winning a second fight doesn't erase a first loss. No one is invincible, that is the first lesson you need to learn. I believe Nodoka said it was the first lesson I need to teach you. I've heard about the way challenges work in your mind, they aren't over until you win, getting beaten the first time means you have a special right to ignore it and fight the second time as if it were still the first. The scores stack boy, even if you beat me in a rematch, its outcome doesn't affect the fact of the first fight, you shouldn't expect a defeat to be a temporary mark,"

Seijuro Hiko removed his hold on Ranma's arm and stood up waiting for his grandson to do the same. Ranma slowly rose and looked the rather young looking old man in the face.

"Such delusions are for idiots and fools," Hiko finished.

Across town at that very moment

Tatewaki Kuno could not believe his noble ears. Truly these judges were daft, how could he, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School, lose a match of this much importance.

"This Kamiya fellow...how dare that this opponent dare to accept this obvious lapse in judgment against an opponent as noble as I," the blue clad youth declared looking at the opponent he had faced in the last round of the Kendo tournament he had been competing in.

The said opponent had yet to remove their helmet and armor, but Kuno stared into the deep purple eyes that almost shown in the shadows of the protective mask. How dare this commoner even be allowed to compete against me, were Kuno's thought.

Deciding to save face before the judges, he waited to confront this opponent outside the tournament. So he waited for them to remove their headgear so he may remember his face.

When the opponent finally did remove their mask, Kuno was stunned. The one who had beaten him was...was...Kuno could hold his attack not, an attack fueled by his passion and love.

Back at the Tendo Dojo

Akane sat in front of the Koi pond; her eyes locked on her own reflection as the fishes lightly broke the surface sending ripples across the water. She sighed heavily, stupid Ranma.

"Something wrong Akane?" inquired a voice from behind her.

Turning, Akane saw it was Nodoka standing there quite sedately. The older woman kneeled down besides her and looked into the pond as well.

"I suppose the arrival of my father has stirred things up, hasn't it," she smirked as she lowered her hand to just above the surface of the koi pond.

"Ranma doesn't lose..." Akane began, "He has his pride and he'll beat him in the rematch,"

"Even so...then the score would still be one to one," Nodoka chided, "A second victory does not erase a first defeat. True Ranma learns from being beaten...but never acknowledges that he can be beaten. His arrogant ego and pride are his greatest weapons...but at the same time they are his greatest weaknesses,"

Akane stood there silently. Nodoka's words sinking in slowly to her head.

"He should have pride. The school of Anything Goes Martial Arts has a lot to be proud of!" Akane's resolve was admirably displayed in her words.

"Founded by a pint sized lecher some eighty years ago; perfecting the manly art of the panty raid, and developing a teaching method most effective when the student is essentially tortured into learning it. Yes I do believe the Anything Goes School does have a lot to be proud of. Then again...the way your father trained you was hardly the way Happosai trained your father and my husband. And in effect still nothing compared to the torture I allowed my own son to be subjected to by allowing him to be taken by that buffoon of a man I married for ten years," As Nodoka spoke, the water beneath her hand began to ripple.

"Yes but " before Akane could finish she was cut off.

"You were trained in the basic forms and techniques as if training in a normal dojo. Practice dummies and structured lessons that would end and you could go to sleep in a soft bed. After your mother passed, your father could not begin to put the true nature of Anything Goes training upon you. Psychologically you wouldn't have been able to survive it. The lessons do not end but bleed into each other. The training dummies are the people on the street you have angered into hunting you down. The exercises are the things you become dependent upon to survive. As primarily unarmed styles go, it is perfection. However the Hiten Mitsurugi style is not primarily unarmed...but it makes the transition with only a few flaws, don't you think. Where the nature of Happosai's school is to preserve life through protecting it and reveling in its bountiful glory...the nature of Hiten Mitsurugi style is to protect life by ending that which threatens it," The water became calm once again beneath Nodoka's palm.

Akane's anger was creeping up upon her. She could feel it but held it in check because she was talking to Nodoka. She felt a bitter sting at some of her words about Anything Goes, but she listened. But one thing that the elder Saotome had said still resonated in her mind.

"You mean the primary point of Hiten Mitsurugi is to kill..." Akane said in utmost seriousness.

"Ranma is no longer fit to solely practice the idealist nature of Anything Goes. He is no longer what he believes a pure martial artist to be. By his own will to protect you he has taken a step in a direction which challenges who he has lived his life to be. My son did not kill a man in cold blood. But rather he killed a god to protect you...to save you. Regardless of that god's immortality in being reborn...Ranma killed him. Blood stains his hands and he must learn what that truly means alongside the implications of crossing that line. When that line is crossed it marks the beginning of many possible paths. There are paths of good and of evil; of virtue or of cruelty. Ranma must now be guided lest he never even choose a path to walk down. You yourself know his tendency to be indecisive. The Hiten Mitsurugi style is meant to teach control and restraint of godlike ability. The practitioner must be capable of killing...but at the same time desire with all his or her heart to avoid such if possible. Having killed, my son needs to take the next step as a martial artists...to be aware of his true potential," Nodoka finished.

"I...I see..." Akane became eerily silent.

"I know this question has been asked several times before...and each time it is asked in its own variation to my son and your self the answer is usually the same...but all things considered..." Nodoka trailed one finger across the surface of the water, "How do feel about Ranma?"

"I wanted to marry him that day," she sighed, "I was ready...we could have been happy...he could have been happy. He could find happiness and freedom from his curse. And... and when that moment was lost... I honestly felt like I lost all hope for us,"

"Do you love him?" Nodoka asked, now sitting on her knees with her hands in her lap.

Akane's silence filled the garden.

At the principal's office of Furinkan High School

"I'm sorry kiekie for my little kiekie's actions. The big Kahuna promises on his whole stock of coconuts dat any problem you have will be settled in any way ya wish!," the smiling Hawaiian shirt clad principal said as his sunglasses glinted in the artificial sunlight of his office.

"Thank you very much," a soft voice said as their form was obscured by a long mane of dark blackish red hair during its owner's bow, "I hope this incident doesn't affect my transfer to Furinkan, Principal Kuno,"

"Not at all, now ya best be getting off the school grounds and home before my son be waking up and trying to ask ya to " the Principal was of course, cut off by his own screaming son.

"SAKURA KAMIYA! I WOULD DATE WITH THEE!"

Back at the Tendo Dojo

"Pops always said weapons are for the weak," Ranma commented.

"Pick up the shinai," Seijuro said in calm resolve.

"Fine..." Ranma did as instructed.

The pigtailed youth and his stripe haired Grandfather were now in the Dojo. Ranma had forgone wearing his usual red silk shirt, in favor of his tank top undershirt, as after the earlier fight, he surmised training with his so called grandfather would require for him to have some extra room to breath. Wasting no time, Seijuro decided to begin having Ranma show him what he knew of wielding a sword, in this case a bamboo shinai. Though Ranma has been long capable of adapting to other styles, he still was not properly versed in the base forms of kenjitsu required in the learning of the Hiten Mitsurugi style.

"Feh, this is easy," commented Ranma.

After a few moments of taking in Ranma's ability with a sword, which were better than most people who spent years training in kendo, he decided to humble the boy.

"Attack me using only the shinai,"

"What?"

"You heard me, now do it," commanded Hiko.

In the Tendo Garden

"Akane...I asked you if you love him," Nodoka again inquired.

"I... I " Akane's response was cut off by the sound of shattering wood.

The water in the pond again rippled. The clouds swirled. And somewhere across town, a young girl with black red hair and purple eyes looked up from her continuous beating of the now unconscious Tatewaki Kuno and simply stared into the sky.

END OF CHAPTER

Okay, repost complete, I adressed a few of the issues with the original posting and hope this meets everyone's approval.


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